When it comes to characterizing the appearance of an automobile, the quality of lighting remains a crucial consideration. Automotive lighting prototype has changed dramatically as a result of substantial developments in the design phase of the automotive industry. Because of their aerodynamic and aesthetic restrictions, conventional lighting employing halogen and/or high-intensity discharge (HID) bulbs is quickly going obsolete.
As a result of its extended lifespan, resilience to strain, improved efficiency, and attractive appearance, leading manufacturers have shifted to LED technology. The usage of lighting systems in automobiles is quite common. For the convenience of navigation, safety, and beauty, headlights, fog lights, turn indicators, tail bulbs, high braking systems, registration plate lights, and plenty more components are widely employed.
Automotive headlights also referred to as car headlamps, are the optics of a vehicle that are not only important for a vehicle owner's visual impression but also for driving safety at nighttime or in poor weather. The headlamp material must guarantee that the automobile is illuminated brightly and steadily when traveling at night, allowing the driver to identify things within 100 meters properly. Simultaneously, anti-glare equipment is required to assure nighttime driving safety.
Material and Performance Requirements for Headlamps | |||
Component | Production Material | Prototype Material | Material Requirements |
Bezel | Polycarbonate (PC), PCHT, Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT), PET/PBT | Acrylic (PMMA), Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) | Heat-resistant, Metalized, and High-Quality Surface. |
Lens | Polycarbonate (PC) | Acrylic (PMMA), Polycarbonate (PC) | Scratch-resistant, Ultraviolet-stable, and Transparent |
Lightguide | Polycarbonate (PC) | Acrylic (PMMA), Polycarbonate (PC) | Ultraviolet-stable and Transparent |
Housing | PP + T20, PP + T40 | Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) | Heat-resistant and Dimensionally Stable |
Reflector | Polycarbonate (PC), Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT), Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS), Bulk Molding Compound (BMC) | Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), Aluminium | Good Heat Resistance, Stiffness, Metallization, and High Impact Resistance |
The taillamp is an indicator light that transmits information about the braking, steering, and other key features. Because of its frequent application in the cities, the material's quality standards are also significant. The material must be heat resistant, processable, wettable, and have vibrant colors.
Material and Performance Requirements for Taillamps | |||
Component | Production Material | Prototype Material | Material Requirements |
Interior Lens | Polycarbonate (PC), PCHT | Acrylic (PMMA), Polycarbonate (PC) | Ultraviolet-stable and Transparent |
Exterior Lens | Acrylic (PMMA) | Acrylic (PMMA), Polycarbonate (PC) | Scratch-resistant, Ultraviolet-stable, and Transparent |
Lightguide | Polycarbonate (PC) | Acrylic (PMMA), Polycarbonate (PC) | Ultraviolet-stable and Transparent |
Housing | Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), PC/ABS, Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate (ASA) | Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) | Heat-resistant and Dimensionally Stable |
Frame | Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) | Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) | Dimensionally Stable |
The usefulness of big headlamps is restricted in poor visibility situations, including fog and rain. To maintain a regular line of vision, the fog lamp must penetrate through the foggy environment and other obstructions. Because of the fog lights' considerable power and temperatures, the substances used must also be heat resistant.
Material and Performance Requirements for Fog Lamps | |||
Component | Production Material | Prototype Material | Material Requirements |
Lens | Polycarbonate (PC) + Hard Coating, Acrylic (PMMA) | Acrylic (PMMA), Polycarbonate (PC) | Scratch-Resistant, Ultraviolet-stable and Transparent |
Housing | Polyetherimide (PEI), ASA/PBT, Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP), ABS/PC | Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) | Heat-resistant and Dimensionally Stable |
Reflector | Polyetherimide (PEI), Polycarbonate (PC), PCHT | Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) | Good Heat Resistance, Stiffness, Metallization, and High Impact Resistance |
3D printers, CNC machining, silicone molds, and quick aluminum molds are now the most common technologies employed in the domain of automotive lighting prototypes, each with its own set of benefits. Based on Industrial-man's years of expertise offering fast prototype services and automobile prototypes for the development and production of car lighting, the followin
g are the many technological applications of the various phases of development:
CNC prototype machining is distinguished by high accuracy, quick reaction, as well as a brief period (1to 2 weeks from shipment), allowing complicated forms to be machined in a single piece of material. In most cases, a visual or functional model for a section of the headlamp, including a light pipe or even a reflector cup, is required during the idea phase (conception phase) and engineering phase (engineering design phase).
This requirement frequently necessitates the capacity to create high-precision models in the quickest time possible using real elements, and CNC remains the greatest option. There are numerous optical features and undercuts owing to the lamp's intricate construction, and sometimes a high-precision 5-axis CNC can not produce the entire part in one go.
After getting the lamp model blueprints, CNC programming experts with extensive expertise in prototype lamp manufacture must assess the viability of machining. They must give a strategy for disassembly procedure for those components that cannot be treated integrally, particularly for sensitive areas. Deburring, smoothing, binding, and painting, as well as other handcrafted post-processing operations, are particularly critical in the latter stages of prototype manufacturing and will ultimately affect the finished look.
There is no need to contemplate a draft for silicone casting because it is one of the most basic quick tools, with excellent elasticity and reproduction capability. As a result, this technique is frequently employed in the manufacturing of low-volume automobile lighting.
It's very vital to pick production processes and resources for low-volume headlight parts made with silicon casting in order to match the look and performance demands of various parts. We normally use CNC to build a prototype of acrylic (PMMA) with a premium-quality surface finish for lenses and bezels that need mirror polishing.
The casting will have a flawless look thanks to the silicone mold created in this manner. We employ RP technology, including SLA, to manufacture prototypes for structural elements with minimal aesthetic demands, like housing. We chose AXSON PX223 for the molding material because of its strong temperature resistance.
Flexible steel (for instance, P-20), as well as aluminum, are the most common quick molding elements. It may boost the manufacturing rate by 20% to 35% compared to tough steel, and polishing duration can be 4 to 11 times faster with reduced weight, lowering the cost of creating molds and shortening the cycle.
Furthermore, the quick aluminum tool allows for better temperature regulation, resulting in a shorter turnaround time and less plastic load. Because the automobile is still in development, it's important to assess its manufacturing cycle and production costs, which can be done with quick aluminum tooling. Manufacturers can, for instance, use a quick aluminum tool to make small batches of lights for loading testing or first market releases.
The most significant benefit of fast aluminum casting is that it contains genuine substance and structure. Not simply is the response cycle quick, but the manufacturing process and cost can also be assessed fairly and accurately. The following is the development cycle for Industrial-man's aluminum taillight manufacturing:
When compared to a standard steel casting, the 2 materials produced nearly identical surface quality. Even though the longevity of an aluminum casting is proportional to the product's intricacy, it can reach more than 1000 times of life span, which happens to be far more than adequate for the preliminary loading test.
Our cutting-edge optical modeling and prototyping software guarantees that our customers get the best results the very first time, each time. Throughout the primary phases of the development process, the system allows for the optimization of designs in favor of the product's attractiveness.
There are several companies to choose from regarding the services of concept prototyping of automotive lighting. Finding the correct one is critical to achieving the desired results. At ARES CNC Machining, we offer high-quality concept prototyping of automotive lighting services that meet all the needs of our customers. You can find more information about our concept prototyping of automotive lighting services on ARES.